The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-01
SOCIAL LIFE OF A CAPTAIN.
Bold Mariners Who Achieve Great Social
n Land.

Bold Mariners Who Achieve Great Social
Success ON Land.
Special TO the indianapolis Journal
NEW YORK, April 80 The captain of first
class ocean steamer is always a social success
when he is in port if he desires to be. OF course,
many do not care for other distinction than
comes from being leader of the little social
world within their ships. The captains OF the
Cunarders nearly all fond of society. Per
haps the most pronounced success is the captain
of the Aurania. His handsome face and charm
ing manners have won him the rather unjust
title of the dude of the Ocean" The salary Of
Cunard captain is about So 500. and he
make $500 TO 81, 900 year extra by renting his
cabin, which is the finest and handsomest on the
vessel. There other privileges. The day
before sailing the captain give dinner to
his friends, and it is always good one In this
way he makes returns for the social favors he
receives. l happened to meet the captain Of
the Aurania shortly after his arrival
here, the other day, and he found await
ing him about hundred letters from
leading people in New York and vicinity inviting
him to dinner parties, theater parties and on.
1t was impossible. of course, to accept them all,
and where he could not accept he to
offend, that it requires a great deal of tact
In fact, to be a popular commander of a vessel,
he tells me that il is necessary to be trained in
diplomacy Verv often there will be dozen
ladies on board his vessel, and he dare not show
one more attention than the other. and even with
the exercise of the greatest tact the captain often
makes matters very unpleasant for himself. III
is necessary to systematic matters. 1t is the
ambition of the majority of the passengers to st
on the right hand of the captain at the dinner
table, and of course it is for him to say who the
person shall be. To avoid trouble, should any
lady gentleman have a title from the English
government he will select the one holding the
highest rank: or upon occasion the courtesy will
he extended to some distinguished American.
In the absence of distinguished persons
he selects the who has been across the
ocean the greatest number or times. One OF
these captains was telling me about trip that
Christine Nilsson made with him. She the
most distinguished lady aboard, and he pos
sibly more consderate with her thar with any of
the others. A number of other lady passengers
were highly indignant at this, and referred TO
Miss Nilsson in a unkind way. One lady.
whose husband made his start saloon-k keeper
spoke of her as "a common singer" and claimed
the social honors for herself. But, by little
incident, they all were made 20 acknowledge that
Miss Nilsson was entitled to superior attention.
One night there was terrible gale, and all the
timid passengers thought the good old ship would
certainly go down. The captain, who. during
fair weather, had spent large part of his time
in a social way, now took his place on the bridge.
The waves swept over the vessel. and nobody
but the officers Of the ship were allowed on deck.
1t necessary for the captain to be strapped to
the bridge, or he certainly would have been swept
off his feet at any moment. Miss Nilsson occupied
the captains caDln, which was directly under
the bridge. few feet below it porthole.
and by STOPPING down the captain could get his
within short distance of It, He had been
the bridge for seven hours and every ore
wondered that he had not succumbed through
exhaustion. While he kept his post many of the
hardships of his trying position were relieved
by Miss Missions divine singing. The captain
was passionately fond of music, and Miss Nilsson
sat for hours with her face to the portfolio pour
ing out ner magnificent voice In it's full power so
that the captain ght hear her. The next
a
table every was heaping praise upon the
captain. when he said that had it not been for
Miss Missions singing he could not have re-
manned so long at his post. and said the passen-
gers owed to her as much as to anyone else a vote
of thanks for their safety. They appreciated it.
and during the rest of the voyage by unanimous
consent the captain allowed to pay eXclu-
sive attention to the fair singer.
HARRY WALKER.